The friendly face

Notably, he has fielded questions on sensitive issues such as political corruption during annual press conferences marking the conclusion of China's yearly parliament sessions.

Image caption
Wen Jiabao is the face that appears at disaster zones, including the 2008 earthquake

Mr Wen has spoken in support of political reform in China on several occasions. In a 2010 interview with CNN, he expressed support for democratic reform in China, pledging his desire for change "will not fall in spite of a strong wind and harsh rain, and I will not yield till the last day of my life".

That interview was subsequently censored inside China.

Referred to as "Grandpa Wen", Wen Jiabao was often the first Communist leader on the scene when China was hit by natural disasters. Notably, Mr Wen was pictured comforting survivors during 2008's deadly earthquake in Sichuan province.

But his public image as a compassionate man of the people was damaged when a New York Times investigative report found that his relatives had attained assets worth $2.7bn (£1.7bn) while he was in power.

Mr Wen said the report was not factual and pledged to allow independent investigators to audit his finances.

The survivor

The New York Times incident is not the first time Mr Wen has faced setbacks. In a political career stretching back to 1965, he has built a network of patrons and is known as a survivor.

Mr Wen began his career in the Gansu geology bureau, having studied geomechanics in Beijing.